Phil Mickelson exits British Open after shooting 8-over 78
Phil Mickelson arrived on the first tee Friday morning wearing a white shirt and white hat, which seemed like a fitting wardrobe decision for the four-time major winner, who waved the white flag with an abysmal 8-over 78 that included back-to-back double bogeys on the back-nine.
"I don't know what to say right now," Mickelson told reporters after his round.
"I've got a way to go. The last two months have been pretty poor play so I'm a little frustrated. The scores are really far off. I don't know what to say."
There really wasn't much Mickelson could say after missing the cut at a major for the first time since the 2007 British Open. After spending much of Thursday in the rough, he came completely unglued during his second round, missing makeable putts -- including an awful three-putt on the 13th hole -- and touring many of Royal Lytham's 206 pot bunkers. He ended the tournament with four double bogeys and four birdies, which isn't exactly the ratio you want to have at a major championship.
[Related: British Open: Who is Brandt Snedeker, and what's he doing hammering the field?]
Also, you know things just aren't going your way when you have to hit a shot right-handed from a bunker -- something Lefty had to do on the 14th after his ball came to rest against the face.
Simply put, it was a week to forget for Mickelson, who came into the British Open upbeat about his chances but left with more questions than answers about where his game is headed after missing his second cut in his last three starts.
He has a few weeks to tighten things up before the PGA Championship, but the way Mickelson's playing -- hitting loose shots and looking inconsistent with the putter -- it's going to take more than a couple range sessions with Butch Harmon to turn things around.
Other popular content on the Yahoo! network:
• Kenny Britt's DUI arrest, and some interesting NFL crime facts
• Kevin Iole: Matchmakers face tough balancing act with rising stars
• Video: British teen makes a grab at Olympic torch, gets grabbed by security
• Y! News: Newt Gingrich and Snooki talk strippers with Jay Leno
